And so to London.
We had a fairly horrific train journey from Newcastle to London. We left Newcastle at 9.00 am and were due to arrive at Kings Cross Station in London at 12.30 pm. However, there had been some significant storms and the train line was flooded in sections. We eventually arrived in London at 7.30 pm!
The train was actually terminated in the Midlands in Peterborough and we had to catch the next train, which had “standing room only” and was overcrowded. Of the remaining two-hour journey, we stood for one hour of it!
We had booked a air bnb in Acton Town, and rather than drag luggage onto the underground, we took a cab, which got us there in half an hour. It was a great accomodation.
Then we found a nice pub around the corner for a bite to eat.
The British Brass Band Championships.
The next morning we were up bright and early and off to the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington for the final of the British Brass Band Competition. Rick, being a former brass player, had always wanted to be in England when the Brass Band competition was on, so, that is now one off his “bucket list”.
The show started at 10.00 am and went for the whole day until 6.30 pm – 20 bands in all. Rick was in heaven. Brass bands are not really Jenni’s thing, but she enjoyed it for a few hours before taking a break in the coffee shop for an hour or two!
Nevertheless, it was amazing being at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time. It is a fantastic space with fabulous acoustics.
Sightseeing In London.
We only had one more day in London, before heading off to Surrey for a few days. So. we decided to visit the London Eye (which nearly everyone does when they’re in London).
First stop, though, was Piccadilly Circus to a ticket outlet to decide on an afternoon show. Sunday performances were fairly limited, but we chose “Unbelievable”, a fun magic show at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. (More about that later).
We had some breakfast at a cute little French Cafe there before heading off to Victoria Station for the London Eye.
We were lucky to catch up with Charlie Chaplin when we got there, and the views of London from the top were quite spectacular.
It was a beautiful day, as you can see, so, after ice cream and frosties in the Park, we made our way back to the station and to Piccadilly Circus.
“Unbelievable” At The Criterion Theatre.
You may be interested to learn that the Criterion Theatre has quite a history – you can read more about it here – and is the only West End Theatre to be completely underground! Only the Entrance and the Box Office are at ground level – even the Dress Circle is completely underground.
Interestingly, during WWII, the BBC commandeered the building to be used as a Studio to be safe from the London Blitz. Anyway, because it’s a historical building, it is now owned by a Trust, and all profits from revenue go back into restoration and maintenance. Even a proportion of ticket sales goes directly into the Restoration Fund.
“Unbelievable” was a fun magic and entertainment show, which we enjoyed immensely. The cast was great and they engaged the audience throughout the show. Fortunately, we were up in the Circle, so avoided being coerced onto the stage!
We had noticed an Angus Steakhouse on a corner adjacent to the theatre block, so we popped in there for a bite to eat before returning to Acton Town.
Next, we’ll be off to Reigate in Surrey to stay with Jenni’s cousins, Kim and Gill for a few days.
